Christian Bale

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After being tapped by Steven Spielberg to star in his epic period film, "Empire of the Sun" (1987), actor Christian Bale found himself thrust into the spotlight, causing enough apprehension about being a celebrity that he considered quitting his career before it really began. But Bale later overcame any initial misgivings to emerge as a gifted young talent worthy of serious consideration, thanks to career-making performances in "Little Women" (1994), "Metroland" (1997) and "Velvet Goldmine" (1998). But it was his leading turn as the serial killer Patrick Batman in "American Psycho" (2000) that turned more than a few heads and underscored his prodigious talents, though he followed up with more subdued performances in "Laurel Canyon" (2002) and "Reign of Fire" (2002). Bale took a page from Robert De Niro's playbook and dropped some 60-odd pounds to play an emaciated factory worker for an acclaimed performance in "The Machinist" (2004). After packing on the pounds and returning to even greater shape, Bale was near perfectly cast as Bruce Wayne in director Christopher Nolan's reboot "Batman Begins" (2005) and its much-hailed sequel, "The Dark Knight" (2008). Though his public persona took a hit when a recording of him berating the cinematographer on the set of "Terminator Salvation" (2009) leaked, Bale emerged the following year with an Oscar-winning supporting turn as a drug-addicted former professional boxer in "The Fighter" (2010), which helped the actor elevate his already exceptional career.Born on Jan. 30, 1974 in Pembrokeshire, South Wales, Bale grew up in Portugal and various towns around England before finally settling in Bournemouth, Dorset, England. He was introduced to life in entertainment almost from the start - one grandfather was a vaudeville-style stand-up comic; the other grandfather was a stand-in for John Wayne on several films. His mother, Jane, was also in the business, working as a dancer and a circus performer. On the other hand, his father David was an entrepreneur, conservationist and animal rights activist who brought Young Bale to Save the Whale rallies. But it was Bale's older sister, Louise, who piqued his interest in acting - she started the craft when he was young; naturally, he followed her into it. Bale began his career a child actor, making his debut when he was nine years old in British television commercials, including one for Pac-Man cereal. He made the transition to stage and film, performing alongside Rowan Atkinson in a West End production of "The Nerd" (1984) and on the BBC miniseries "Heart of the Country" (1987). He also made his American debut with a supporting role in the two-part miniseries, "Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna" (NBC, 1986).By the time he was 13, Bale was attending the Bournemouth School for Boys, though maintaining studies while also acting proved difficult. His entire life changed, however, when he was chosen by Steven Spielberg out of 4,000 hopefuls to play Jim Graham, a pampered upper-class British adolescent living in China, in "Empire of the Sun." Shouldering the bulk of the movie - no small task for one so young - Bale delivered a mature performance and was immediately hailed as the next Big Thing. Being thrust into the limelight - some even said he was the most talked about child actor since Mickey Rooney - had a starkly profound effect on Bale, who suddenly found himself retreating from press interviews and publicity events. The pressure of being a sudden celebrity proved to be too much, especially in light of "Empire of the Sun" doing mediocre business at the box office. Back at home, Bale was taken to task by a local newspaper for refusing an interview, while the boys at Bournemouth picked fights and mocked him. All he wanted to do was get away.Soon after he was finished with "Empire of the Sun," his parents divorced, jading Bale on the concept of marriage. Meanwhile, he lost his desire to act, thanks to his time spent in the bright lights of celebrity. But t